Spring 2012

“We pray things will get better”On a cold, rainy Monday morning Alejandra and her sister Marisol stand in line to receive food for their family at one of the Food Bank’s monthly food distributions in southeast San Diego. The sisters, in their late twenties, huddle together to stay warm.

Alejandra moved in with Marisol and her husband two years ago to help Marisol take care of her three young children. “My sister needed help with the kids so I moved in, and I was able to watch the children while Marisol was at work,” said Alejandra. “She worked days and I worked nights so one of us was always home to take care of them. None of us knew what would happen afterwards though.”

After Alejandra moved in, Marisol’s husband lost his job in construction, and Marisol was laid off from her job as a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn. Then Alejandra lost her restaurant job. “Times have been really tough. We keep looking for work but we can’t find anything. Marisol’s husband gets odd jobs as a handyman and Marisol has a little work cleaning houses, and somehow we manage to scrape by, but it’s really hard,” said Alejandra.

Often the cupboard is bare at home, Alejandra explains, apart from a little rice and beans. “Our main concern is the kids. We will skip food sometimes or not eat much so the kids have enough. Fortunately our church has been able to help us, and we have been coming to the Food Bank every month. The food we get here really helps,” says Alejandra as she is handed a box of fresh produce by a Food Bank volunteer.

Alejandra and Marisol’s story reflects the impact of the economy on working families throughout San Diego County who have been forced turn to the Food Bank for help.

Thanks to the Food Bank’s supporters we are able to provide a safety net for Alejandra and Marisol’s family and thousands of families like theirs who face the same struggle putting food on the table every day.

As she places the last bag of food in their car, Alejandra turns and says, “We pray that things will get better because without hope there’s nothing.” And to finish that thought Alejandra gently puts her arm around her sister and says, “She’s my hope. We’ll get through this together.”

fOOD fOR THOUGHT

food for thought

Alejandra (right) and her sister Marisol (left) receive a box of food from a Food Bank volunteer (center).

Alejandra hands her sister, Marisol (far left), a box of fresh produce from the Food Bank at a food distribution in southeast San Diego.

“Our main concern is the kids. We will skip food sometimes or not eat much so the kids have enough. “

“We pray that things will get better because without

hope there’s nothing.”

Summer is just around the corner and we need your help preventing what Food Banks across the country call the “summer squeeze.”

The “summer squeeze” is what happens when the Food Bank’s supply of food runs dangerously low, but demand for food assistance rises dramatically.

Every summer, over 230,000 low-income San Diego County school children who normally receive free breakfast and lunch at school no longer receive freeschool meals when school is closed for vacation.

This places a major strain on low-income and jobless parents who are forced to turn to the Food Bank for help.

In the past, the Food Bank has struggled to meet this demand since food drive donations plummet over the summer months, but for a fourth consecutive year Vons supermarkets will host a summer food drive for the Food Bank at all of their San Diego County locations.

When you visit Vons this summer, we ask that you think of the Food Bank and make a food drive donation in our famous red food drive barrels at the front of the store.

Your help will prevent a child in our community from going to bed hungry.

Tee up for a good cause on Friday, June 22 at our “Drive Out Hunger” Golf Tournament that will be held at the Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley to benefit the Food Bank. We are asking all golf lovers to sponsor a hole or sign up for a round of golf. The tournament concludes with an evening dinner and auction, and all proceeds will help us fight hunger in San Diego this summer. So dust off those clubs and help us send hunger to the sand trap!

Mark your calendars for our second annual San Diego Blues Festival fundraiser, benefiting the Food Bank. This exciting event will be held in a beautiful setting at the Embarcadero Marina Park North on the downtown San Diego waterfront, near Seaport Village. Last year’s blues festival was a huge success, and this year will be even better. We’ve already got some world-renowned blues artists signed up (see pg. 3) at a price you can’t beat – only $10 per person, plus two cans of food. Children 12 and under are free. Since every $1 donation to the Food Bank provides 3 meals for the needy, every ticket to the blues festival will provide 30 meals to hungry San Diegans. So, come join us on Saturday, Sept. 22 and help us give hunger the blues.

As we approach the summer holidays I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the organizations and the countless caring individuals who are helping the Food Bank.

Your support puts food on the table for struggling families and individuals. Thank you for your service and dedication to people in need in our community.

J. Scofield HagePresident & CEO

Board of directors

Bruce Hollingsworth – ChairmanPresident/ CEO (Ret.) Unified Port of San Diego Larry Cleary - Vice Chairman Vice President, Sales, Indyme Solutions, Inc. Sheldon Derezin - Secretary & Treasurer Chief Financial Officer, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

Steve BernsteinBusiness Banking President,Wells Fargo

Stephen M. Brigandi Corporate Counsel Director, Government Relations, Jack in the Box

Daniel J. Devine Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Aimee FaucettDeputy Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Jerry Sanders Annie M. Goshert Sales Development Manager, Coca-Cola J. Scofield HagePresident & CEO,Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank Steve Hoffman President Western Region, NRG Energy Inc. Richard “Dick” KelleyPresident & General Manager, NBC San Diego

John PivaVice President of Retail Operations, Safeway

Jerry Swain Founder & CEO, Jer’s Handmade Chocolates

advisory Board

Stephen P. Cushman - Co-Chair President, Cush Enterprises

Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell - Co-ChairVice President, State Government Affairs, SDG&E/ SoCalGas

Kathy Davis (Ret.) San Diego County Office of Education

David LloydDirector, Community Relations, NRG, Inc

Jennifer L. Perkins Corporate Affairs Specialist, Cintra US Ed Plant President, Harborside Refrigerated Services John Vingas Vice President, Centerplate Catering

Honorable William C. Pate (Ret.) JAMS, The Resolution Experts

Jacobs & CushmanSan Diego Food Bank

9850 Distribution Avenue San Diego, CA 92121

858-527-1419www.sandiegofoodbank.org

We Need Your Help This Summer

J. Scofield HagePresident & CEO

The Food Bank will host our second annual blues festival on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Embarcadero Marina Park North on the downtown waterfront, next to Seaport Village.

The AimLoan.com San Diego Blues Festival will feature 10 national and local blues acts on two stages from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Headline artists include Tab Benoit, Janiva Magness, and Kim Wilson’s Blues All-Stars

The festival is a family-friendly event for all ages, featuring gourmet food trucks, local craft beer and wine vendors, along with arts and crafts booths.

Admission is only $10 per person plus two cans of food, and children 12 and under are free.

Since the Food Bank can provide three meals for every $1 donation, each $10 ticket to the festival will provide 30 meals to hungry San Diegans.

Please support the Food Bank! Bring your family and friends for a fun-filled day of blues by the scenic San Diego downtown waterfront.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit: www.sandiegobluesfestival.com

Join Us for the Aimloan.com San Diego Blues Festival, Sept. 22A food & fundraiser for the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

The Food Bank would like to thank our title sponsor AimLoan.com

Javina Magness’s raw, passionate vocals have made her one of the

greatest blues singers of the era. Janiva is the 2009 winner of the B.B. King

Entertainer of the Year award.

Kim Wilson has played blues for decades and was once proclaimed the greatest living

harmonica player by Muddy Waters. Kim Wilson’s Blues All-Stars’ sound and musical

talents are legendary.

Tab Benoit has played “swamp blues” for more than 20 years.

Benoit was named B.B. King Entertainer of the Year at the 2007

Blues Music Awards.

For a third year, the Food Bank will be the beneficiary of a summer golf tournament to raise much-needed donations for our summer feeding programs.

The Food Bank faces increased demand over the summer months when over 230,000 low-income San Diego County school children stop receiving free school meals and their parents are forced to turn to the Food Bank for help.

The tournament will be held at the Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley with tee times starting at 1 p.m. The tournament will finish with a dinner and live auction at 6.30 p.m.

The tournament is open to everyone, and the Food Bank is encouraging groups and individuals to sign up. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for corporate, hole,and tee sponsors. Tournament entry forms, which include sign up for the dinnerand sponsorship forms, are available online.

Sign Up for Our June 22nd “Drive Out Hunger” Golf Tournament

Sign up for the Food Bank’s annual golf tournament and send hunger to the sand trap.

KUSI “Style Guy” Leonard Simpson hosted the Food Bank’s second annual fashion show and luncheon fundraiser raising nearly $40,000 for the Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, which provides weekend food packages to chronically hungry elementary school children.

More than 300 guests attended the Tuscan-themed event at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla which was hosted byformer NBC 7 news anchor Susan Taylor. The event was chaired by Roxi Link with co-chair Bonnie Hage, honorary chairs Joe & Lisa Busalacchi, and founding chair Sally B. Thornton.

Before the start of the fashion show, special guests were invited by Leonard Simpson to walk down the runway in recognition of their philanthropic support for the community. Included were Joni & Dr. Elliot Alpert; Laura and Fred Applegate; Sonya Berg; Joan Burton; Suzanne Figi; Daran Grim; Jeanne Jones; Judge Fred Link and his three daughters; Tiffany Mahoney; Jane Ottenstein; Esther Jane Paul; Phyllis and John Parish; Romin Pouteymoure; Sandy Redman; and John M. and Sally B. Thornton.

The fashion show oozed Italian chic with models strutting the stage in haute couture designs against the backdrop of a Tuscan landscape dotted with majestic poplar trees.

The fashion show featured fashions and jewelry from Sharon Plache of Karise Design, Britt Boy UK Menswear, Furs By Graff, M Bride of La Jolla, Mia Bella Couture, Celeste Boutique, Fairen Del, The Madison Suite, GSB Menswear, Hot Rock Jewelry, Bob Eix Jewelry, and Pamela Pogue Jewelry.

Attendees commented on the whimsical “plate hats” worn by the models as the event’s signature feature. The Food Bank is very grateful to all who supported the event, helping us raise much-needed funds for a critical program.

Second Annual Fashion Show Raises $38K for Backpack Program

Fashion Plates Honorary Chairs Joe and Lisa Busalacchi, Co-Chairs Roxi Link and Bonnie Hage,

and Food Bank CEO Scody Hage

Founding Chair Sally B. Thornton with Scody Hage

Food Bank Launches Nutrition Education Program with Healthy Cooking DemonstrationsThe Food Bank celebrated National Nutrition Month in March by launching our new Nutrition Education Program at a series of ‘healthy meals’ cooking demonstrations.

Food Bank nutrition staff demonstrated how to cook healthy recipes using food provided by the Food Bank to help train kitchen staff from our partner charities that include soup kitchens, churches with feeding programs, homeless shelters, and living facilities for seniors and the disabled.

The Nutrition Education Program will include nutrition education field trips, online resources, cooking classes, and recipe cards for Food Bank clients. In addition, the Food Bank is establishing nutrition guidelines that will introduce a “traffic light” food ranking system which will be color-coded red, yellow, and green, which will guide charities toward more nutritious food choices. The policy sets a goal to increase the amount of fresh produce we distribute to over half of our annual distribution total.

At the launch of the program, the Food Bank’s Nutrition Coordinator, Tiffany Rivera, demonstrated how to make two versions of carrot sauce for sweet and savory dishes.

The cooking demonstrations were a big hit with our charity partners, and our team looks forward to bringing these demonstrations to our food distribution sites to teach our client population recipes for healthy meals using Food Bank-provided food.

To view our recipes, visit the Food Bank’s website: www.SanDiegoFoodBank.org

In January, San Diego County high schools participated in the third annual Freedom From Hunger Food Drive challenge in honor of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fourteen schools participated in the food drive competition, led by their ASB organizations, and collected over 23,000 pounds of food, more than doubling the amount raised last year. Prizes were awarded to the winning schools’ ASB organizations by the food drive’s sponsors at the Laurels for Leaders awards luncheon in February. This year’s winning schools were:

1st Place: Canyon Crest Academy

2nd Place: Grossmont High School

3rd Place: Torrey Pines High School

4th Place: Patrick Henry High School

This year’s sponsors included Laurels for Leaders, the Downtown Kiwanis Club, US Bank, Coca-Cola of San Diego, the Metropolitan Transit System, the San Diego County Office of Education, and the Ninth District PTA.

Third Annual Freedom From Hunger Food Drive Raises Over 23,000 Pounds!

Winners of the Freedom From Hunger Food Drive receive their awards.

HEALTHY RECIPE IDEA:Savory Ginger Orange Carrot Sauce:

Instructions:1. Peel and chop carrots into 1 inch slices.2. Boil, covered for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain

carrots and reserve pot.3. Using a blender, masher, or fork, combine boiled

carrots, milk, water, and olive oil until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour sauce into warm pot.5. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 mins.

Use this savory sauce to serve over pasta, fish, chicken, or lean pork.

The Food Bank’s Nutrition Coordinator, Tiffany Rivera, conducts a healthy recipe cooking demonstration for our nonprofit

partners with feeding programs.

2 lbs carrots¼ cup milk¼ cup water1 tbsp. olive oil1 tsp. cumin or coriander

2 tsp. garlic powder3 tsp. ground gingerJuice of ¼ orange1 tsp. salt and pepper

Food Bank CEO J. Scofield “Scody” Hage attended the annual National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference in Washington D. C., hosted by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Hage’s visit included legislative meetings with officials from the offices of Senators Feinstein and Boxer and with the San Diego Congressional delegation to discuss potential budget cuts to USDA food programs administered by the Food Bank that serve nearly 110,000 San Diegans including seniors and military families living near the poverty line.

Both programs face potential threats in forthcoming legislation, in particular, the next Farm Bill. The House’s previous cuts, which were not enacted, would have forced the Food Bank to remove almost 2,000 low-income seniors from the Senior Food Program, and the cuts would have reduced the number of food items that we provide to families from ten food items to five food items.

The Food Bank will continue to monitor future potential cuts to these vital hunger-relief programs, and we will urge our Congressional representatives to oppose any future cuts.

During Hage’s visit to Washington D.C. he met with Rep. Darrell Issa, Rep. Brian Bilbray, Rep. Bob Filner, Rep. Duncan Hunter, Rep. Susan Davis, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and officials from the office of Senator Barbara Boxer.

Diamond SupportersLeichtag Family FoundationPrice Family Charitable FundGold SupportersLas PatronasSilver SupportersConnecting Point Marketing Group, Inc.Yard HouseThe Walter J & Betty C Zable FoundationThe Hervey Family Fund at the San Diego FoundationBronze SupportersSempra EnergyQualcomm Charitable FoundationAmetek FoundationGrosvenor Family FoundationFarrell Family Foundation

Special ThanksThe Food Bank would like to thank the following corporations and foundations for their generous contributions. This list reflects donations received Jan. 1, 2012 through Feb. 29, 2012.

Food Bank CEO Visits Washington D.C.

Representative Darrell Issa Representative Brian Bilbray

Senator Dianne Feinstein Representative Duncan Hunter

Representative Bob Filner Representative Susan Davis